GT1 Glory at Goodwood

The weekend of Goodwood’s eightieth Members’ Assembly offered the right stage of the GT1 gladiators from the start of this century, to strut their stuff…

First created by the BPR World GT sequence again in 1993, the GT1 class was later taken over by the FIA being renamed the FIA GT Championships. Accommodating bigger displacement GT vehicles, the GT1 class was at all times a favorite with spectators and lovers because it attracted the likes of Aston Martin, Corvette, Jaguar, McLaren, Porsche, Lister Storm, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Chrysler Viper, Maserati, Marcos LM600, Saleen, Ford GT, and naturally the final of the front-engined Ferraris. The GT1 demonstration run on the Goodwood eightieth Members’ Assembly on 15-16 April 2023, was a celebration of these top-flight GT Racers from the early a part of the twenty first Century.

The 1999 Chevrolet Corvette C5R was powered by a 6-litre V8 engine growing 600 hp at 6,200 rpm. The No. 64 automotive, proven right here on the Saturday night demonstration, ran within the 2000 Le Mans 24 Hours ending third within the LM GTS class

In an effort to interrupt into the European market, Chrysler partnered with the French firm Oreca to develop the Viper for endurance racing. The resultant Chrysler Viper GTS-R was fitted with an immensely highly effective 8-litre V10 engine that produced as much as 750 hp. The Viper GTS-R was extraordinarily profitable on each side of the Atlantic

Because the final of the Gordon Spice Trophy vehicles left the monitor simply earlier than 19h00 on Saturday night, the razzmatazz forward of the GT1 demonstration obtained underway. With such all kinds of producers on provide, engine format and capability ranged from V8 to V10 and V12, and from 5-litres proper as much as an enormous 8-litres. As might be imagined, competitors on this class was fierce, and the sequence grew to become extraordinarily well-liked. These spectators fortunate sufficient to bear witness to the grid of 17 GT1 vehicles starting from 1999 to 2008, had their need for highly effective motorsport reawakened.

Though Oreca would focus its efforts within the ALMS from 2000, the European FIA GT Championship was the blissful looking floor of a number of non-public groups. Whereas the Viper would win the Daytona 24 Hours for Oreca, it will beat its arch rival, Corvette, on the Le Mans 24 Hours thrice in succession

In 1999 the Marcos LM600 EVO was utterly redeveloped, lightened and strengthened. Powered by a Chevrolet LS6 engine, the brand new LM600 EVO was a direct success. The No. 30 automotive seen right here heading into the sundown, is being piloted by very long time Marcos driver, Cor Euser

The No. 14 Lister Storm was an especially profitable GT1 class competitor, placing its 7-litre Jaguar V12 engine to full use

With the sunshine fading within the clear West Sussex night sky, the marshals, some scattered photographers and people hardy spectators who braved the falling temperatures, waited eagerly for the GT1 demo to get underway. Standing on the exit of Madgwick nook and the beginning of the Fordwater Straight, we might hear and tannoy bulletins, the drummers and the related leisure, all of the whereas wishing the vehicles would quickly be launched onto the circuit. Finally, after what appeared like an eternity, the primary of the GT1 vehicles was led onto the circuit at 19h30 behind a tempo automotive.

Powered by a 5,983 cc V12 engine, this 600 hp Ferrari 550 GTS Maranello was the Italian producer’s remaining front-engined GT automotive. This mannequin was vastly profitable on each side of the Atlantic. This fabulous Ferrari is seen right here setting off down the Fordwater straight into the setting solar on Saturday night

One other of the spectacular show of Vipers seen on the Goodwood assembly. The automotive exits Madgwick and into the fading mild of night with Frenchman Benoît Tréluyer behind the wheel

It was a brilliantly clear night, by now fairly cool, because the vehicles rounded Madgwick and headed off down the Fordwater Straight, proper into the setting solar. Like well-behaved college boys, the vehicles filed previous so as, not being permitted to overhaul or to do something that even resembled racing. Nevertheless, simply as such orderly self-discipline is ultimately overtaken by the need to spice issues up a bit, gaps started to develop between the vehicles and this allowed a little bit of exhausting acceleration within the fading mild. However the procession was all typically well-behaved, and sadly the 15-minute demonstration was over too quickly.

With mild ablaze within the low mild of Saturday night’s run, this spectacular 2002 No. 15 Ferrari 550 GTS Maranello pushed by Brit Charlie Remnant, was simply one in every of simply three related Ferraris within the demonstration run at Goodwood

The No. 65 Ferrari 550 GTS Maranello (2002) was pushed by Max Girardo and James Cottingham. Set in opposition to Goodwood’s yellow daffodils and with the enjoyable honest on the Members’ Assembly within the background, this Ferrari cuts a hanging picture because it speeds by means of Woodcote Nook

That is one in every of simply two Corvette C5Rs within the weekend’s GT1 demonstration. This No. 7 automotive is a 2002 mannequin

The Saleen S7-R, an American designed mid-engined racer powered by a 7-litre Ford V8 engine, was a formidable competitor that noticed appreciable success within the ALMS, FIA GT Championships and the ELMS. This instance is the 2004 ACEMCO Motorsport #163 Saleen SR-7, and is seen right here rounding Woodcote Nook in Sunday morning’s GT1 demonstration run

Sunday morning’s rerun of the GT1 vehicles was scheduled for 10h50, and virtually proper on cue, one might hear the rumble of huge engines being fired up within the pre-race paddock. This time stationed at Woodcote Nook, because the vehicles velocity in direction of the Chicane, they resumed their spectacular show for the good thing about Sunday’s guests. One might virtually really feel sorry for the drivers as they have been restrained behind the tempo automotive as soon as once more, however this enabled the spectators to benefit from the vehicles at a extra leisurely tempo.

Powered by a 6-litre V12 naturally aspirated engine, this #006 Aston Martin DBR9 received its class on the Sebring 12 hours first trip, additionally profitable the Vacationer Trophy at Silverstone in 2005. It was pushed by Gregor Fisken on the Members’ Assembly, Fisken being one of many few drivers who had by 2010 achieved the Le Mans 24 Hours in each class, together with LM P1, LM P2, GT1 and GT2.

The No. 90 automotive is the second buyer DBR9, which raced beneath the Capuava Racing banner in 2006 getting into only a single occasion. This automotive has particular aero, paddle-shift gearbox and a extra highly effective engine with 34.0 mm restrictors

The No. 53 Aston Martin DBR9 (2006 mannequin) was an official works automotive, however it was by no means raced by the works crew itself. The automotive received the Donington 1000 KM and the Vallelunga 6 Hours. It additionally raced at Le Mans in 2008 however posted a DNF there

This automotive, the No. 009 Aston Martin DBR9 (2007 mannequin), was solely entered in a single race, however it was a very powerful race of all of them, profitable the GT1 Class at Le Mans in 2007 within the arms of David Brabham, Darren Turner and Rickard Rydell. The automotive was slightly appropriately pushed at Goodwood by Darren Turner

Nevertheless, quarter-hour shouldn’t be a very long time, and such a brief session doesn’t enable the photographers the luxurious of relocating to a different spot as no sooner had you left your first location, than the demo run could be over. Nevertheless, all of the vehicles spent the entire weekend, whereas not on monitor, sitting within the paddock the place they might be examined and loved shut up.

This No. 77 Corvette C6 GT1 (2007 mannequin) is fitted with a 7-litre LS7 V8 engine growing 685 hp. It was raced in interval between 2007 to 2009 by Michael Lee together with within the 2009 Macau GT race, and has extra just lately participated within the Endurance Legends at Spa, Daytona, COTA and Zandvoort, and now additionally Goodwood. It’s seen right here with Mike van Thiel behind the wheel as he negotiates Woodcote on Sunday morning

The No. 007 Aston Martin DBR9 ran in FIA GT Championship in 2006. It then competed within the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2007 and it additionally did two rounds of the FIA GT championship that season. It additionally ran within the 2008 Le Mans 24 Hours in Gulf livery the place it completed fourth in school

The GT1 class of race vehicles have been eligible between 1993 and 2011, and through these 18 years they offered spectators with a lot edge-of-the-seat rivalry and shut racing. The thunderous roar of highly effective engines was a supply of nice attraction for race-goers as these race vehicles battled for superiority in school. Within the GT1’s years of ascendency, within the late-90s, this class of racing actually engaged the spectators as they’d a discipline of race vehicles to observe that every one regarded very completely different from one another, behaved very otherwise and every had its personal efficiency traits.

Racing lovers are unlikely to ever see such a spectacle once more, no less than for the foreseeable future, as GT racing is now shifting in direction of GT3 guidelines making certain a efficiency plateau that will likely be more and more managed by means of Stability of Efficiency (BoP). As a substitute of making an attempt to steadiness out the efficiency traits between producers, the racing authorities needs to be celebrating the variations between them. With the good thing about hindsight, it’s this big selection of engineering and efficiency capabilities that fuelled the fervour and engagement amongst the various 1000’s of followers and racing lovers world wide throughout this time. Trying again by means of the many years, particularly in the course of the Sixties, Nineteen Seventies, Eighties and Nineties, the spectator numbers have been on the rise and the racing was thrilling. It will appear then, that the long run has little to supply by means of comparability with its inflexible and balanced efficiency traits, created within the identify of ‘leisure’.

Because the daybreak of the game itself, motor racing has recognised and celebrated engineering prowess and innovation, and this may be measured in race victories by means of the ages. Lots of the security options discovered on the manufacturing vehicles at this time can hint their origins again to motor racing, but when innovation is stifled by means of over-regulation, then the long run seems to be fairly bleak.

GT racing has at all times been thrilling, largely as a result of spectators can determine with the vehicles on monitor, and they also create an affiliation with these vehicles. The GT1 period supplied enjoyment and pleasure in spadefuls, and so the spectators have been engaged proper from the second the race went inexperienced till the chequered flag fell, making certain that this was the most effective eras in trendy motorsport.

Photos by: Digital Motorpix/Glen Smale